She seemed weak, laying there on the floor of the forest. He had never ventured so far from his people before, but the man's own curiosity had gotten the best of him once again on that bright and sunny afternoon.

Kim Seokjin, the Solari Tribe Chief's eldest son, had ventured into the forbidden forest, the same one that separated his people from the Lunari, the people of the Lunar tribe.

Seokjin often did as he pleased, no one really bothering to stop him knowing all too well that if you came between him and his mischief, his mischief would always win.

Jin was a tall man, his shoulders broad and his skin a nice tan. He was the most handsome of the men in his tribe, and he knew it. However, because of his large ego, he often got into trouble, sometimes causing small battles to be waged between the Solari and the Lunari.

Today was no different, Jin escaping to his favorite spot in the forest, avoiding the responsibilities of being the chief's son in favor of a little adventure and self love. The first time he had made the trip deep into the forest was when he was only 7. He liked hearing the sound of cicadas rushed into the wind, hearing the chirping of birds from the trees, it made his body feel so alive. He often spent hours upon hours just watching the wind blow through the trees or the birds fly through the air. This time was no different than before, the heat of the summer sun making his skin tingle.

But something caught his eye as he approached the small cabin that he often went to in his spare time. His father had built it for him long ago after finding out of his whereabouts during one of those many summer days. He insisted that if he were to venture inside the forest he was to do so only as far as that little hut in the middle of the trees.

"Venturing any further could put your life in great danger," his father told him.

But he wasn't willing to believe it. He'd sometimes dwindle and go slightly off course and make his way deeper and deeper into territory that did not belong to him. But as he did so he risked being caught by the Lunari tribe, the same tribe that had once killed his people in a battle for dominance.

That had happened centuries ago however, this was now and something had caught his eye making him move further once again like he usually did. There, on the floor near one of the trees that bordered the little hut and the territory that was forbidden to him, was a body. It seemed to be moving ever-so-slightly but the sound of coughing and wheezing was the thing that had caught his attention the most.

He didn't notice the color of her hair at first, nor the color of her skin, or the way her lips seemed almost one with her face. Immediately he picked her up and off the forest floor, carrying her all the way inside the hut before laying her down on a small bed he had constructed himself years ago.

Only then did he notice the color of her hair, silver like the color of the moon on a dark and cold night. Only then did he notice the large jeweled necklace around her chest presenting her as not only part of the Lunari tribe but also as the daughter of a chief.

It didn't matter what Chief nor did it matter where she had come from. The simple fact that she was a Lunari bordering the side of the Sun meant trouble. But not for him. For her.

"Hey! Are you okay?" he asked.

No answer.

Gently, he began moving her body from side to side, hoping for any sort of response from her. He felt it. He felt the silky garments grazing against his bare arms, dark as night against her glistening pure white-colored skin. He felt her long thick hair tickling his collarbone as he picked her up once more, moving her away from the bed where a large gaping hole let the sunlight come in and hit her face.

He set her in a dark corner, grabbing a blanket and draping it on her.

"W-wa," she croaked, her lips visibly chapped as she reached out to touch Jin's shoulder.

"Wa?" Jin echoed, confused as to what she was asking for.

"Ugua," she whispered before collapsing forward and onto Jin's arms.

The hole that had been well lit only moments ago was now being invaded by water, rain heavily hitting the hut while venturing inwards through the opening in the hut's roof.

"Oh my nymphs lady did you just-"

Jin simply stood up, his hands pushed together before a large beam of light shot out from them and upwards into the same hole, the water soon subsiding and turning back into the sunlight.

He looked at the woman, sighing heavily at her weakened figure.

Before he could even walk to her, his eyes fell on a small pot that sat next to the bed. It had been filled with rainwater, Jin smirking while picking it up.

He moved closer to the woman, picking her up and placing her against his chest. Going into a small bag that was around his belt, he took out a yellow powder and with a small flicker of his fingers and some hushed words, the water turned bright yellow.

"Now drink all of it. The effect will be immediate but it will only last an hour. You need to drink this to gain a bit of strength, miss. I can't afford to have a Lunari Chief's daughter die on my people's land. I don't want more bloodshed. So live, okay?" Jin begged.

The lady appeared to pick up his words, swallowing in large gulps the water he was giving her.

It was an ancient technique, one that was used when tribe leaders needed to speak to one another or to aid during war when time was not in their favor.

In seconds, her eyes fluttered open, milky white, practically becoming one with the whites of her eyes, a tinge of blue being the only thing to offset the colors.

"T-thank you," she mumbled, a stern look plastered on her lips.

"What are you doing on this side of the border, young lady? Do you know where you are? And in broad daylight of all things?" Jin asked confused, the woman pushing herself away from his arms, where he was holding her.

"That is none of your business," she mumbled, her eyes piercing into Jin's body.

From a distance, you could tell she was a bit different from the women in the sun tribe. Her skin was visibly shades lighter, almost as white as the snow on the rare winters that sometimes hit the Solari's land. Her hands resembled those of the Nymph's, silky smooth and perfect, unlike the women in the sun tribe's whose hands were usually covered with large scars or blisters from hard labor and the duty of tending to the land and their children.

The woman before him was like a woman of glass, too precious and delicate to touch, not a single scar seen on her.

"May I ask what you have done to me?" she sneered with an entitled tone, finally getting onto her feet and looking at herself.

"It's called The Sunlight's Kiss, water that a Solari's magic infuses with our tribes sun plant, Sunbloom, turns into a potion so powerful that when consumed it can keep the rays from the sun from harming your skin. It's an ancient remedy used by the elders-"

"That is enough peasant, I thank you for your kindness but I must keep going. I can't stay here," she scoffed, her voice sounding almost mocking to Jin.

His lips went sideways, Jin got up and off the ground before undoing a small vial which was tied to the rope around his waist that held his pants up, and handed it to her.

"Here," he said.

"What is this?"

"It's more of that water I gave you. If you are going to travel during the daylight you're going to need it. Oh and also-" he paused, walking over to a section of the hut hidden to her eyes.

Coming back, he handed her a folded up cloak, the fabric a bright green color and as she unfolded it she found a pair of black cloth gloves that left her fingers exposed.

"What are these for?" she asked confused, looking at Jin in a weird way as if he was intruding into her personal space.

"If my assumption is correct, you are running away from someone. The cloak can hide your hair and clothes. The gloves are to cover your hands. I have heard that the hands of the Lunari are their most valued possession. If the sun were to hit them while you are trying to retake the vial, you might burn them, and we wouldn't want the Chief to get mad that his precious daughter got burnt in the land of the Solari, now would we?" he chuckled.

She gasped, her eyes widening as she grabbed ahold of her necklace.

"How did you-"

"I mean, there aren't many women the color of clouds around these parts, and I'm willing to guess that necklace is your Lunari emblem," he explained.

She stood silent for a minute before composing herself and clearing her throat.

"W-well yes. I am the daughter of the g-great um, Chief Nocturn of the Lunari tribe. I have no idea how you know who I am, but I demand you keep this secret. No one is to know who I am nor that I am here."

"Unfortunately, I don't think I can do that young lady," Jin said, the woman looking at him offended.

"Why not? This is an order from the King- I mean Chief's daughter herself!"

Opening a small bag that hung from the side of his belt, Jin pulled out his own necklace, one that was more of a chain to him, shackles that kept him tied to his duties, ones he did not want in the first place.

Her eyes widened, the girl's pale skin turning rosy out of embarrassment. Falling to her knees, the woman's eyes squeezed shut as she paid her respects to Jin. It was an ancient tradition, one derived from the tribe elders' teachings.

When a chief's son is in front of any person, regardless of age, gender, or tribe, if you are of lower status you must bow and not look him in the eyes unless he allows you to.

Why?

The elders believe that in the eyes of the son's was the heart of the future tribe. The future tribe is to be respected and honored and even though she was a daughter of a chief, it was he who would be the next ruler of her rival tribe, and that in itself deserved her respect. He was the Young Chief after all, or at least that's what the Solari called them. In Lunari territory he would be called a Prince.

"Why do you bow now when only moments ago I was a peasant in your eyes?" Jin laughed, the woman's eyes still focus on the floor in front of him.

"Forgive me Young Chief, I was unaware of being in your presence. I ask you humbly to forgive me and let me hide in your tribe's territory. I shall leave and head towards the border as soon as nightfall comes upon the land."

"If I must help, may I at least know what is your name, where you will be heading, and from what are you running away?" he asked, crouching down to touch her head as a sign of accepting her praise.

She looked up, her gaze looking away from Jin's burning brown eyes that seemed to be staring deep within her soul.

"My name is Luna, daughter of the Kin-Chief who gave me the name of my people as to never forget my duty to them, and I am heading to- um... Abron, the capital of the country of Gein," she lied. "I'm...what I'm running away from is..."

Jin smirked, watching as the girl struggled for words, her eyes roaming the area, unwilling to look him in the eyes.

"Well? Is it a monster? Or did the nymphs decide to have you sacrificed?" he joked.

"I'm running away from a forced engagement."

Jin stood up in a quick almost stiff motion.

"Forced? Do you not love this man?"

"Love?!" Luna yelled, her anger evident by the way her eyebrows arched, her stare colder than the cold water in winter.

"The word love doesn't exist in my father's world. It's all empires, unions, and territory talk with him. It's all 'who will die today and who will live to see tomorrow.' My brother is just like him! I can't stand being a part of such a family that will do what is said without questioning or fighting for individuality. It's always "the kingdom this" and "the kingdom that". It's never what a person wants or what's best for the individual-"

Luna froze, realization setting in, both her slender hands going up to cover her face out of amazement. Why had she blurted so much out?

Would he turn her into her father? She felt like she had just committed the biggest crime in history, Luna bowing her gaze once again before the man in front of her.

"Love is something we should all experience in our own time. It's unfair that you're being forced to marry a man you do not love," Jin sighed, realizing just how powerless the woman really was.

He seemed visibly upset, Luna's own eyes softening at the sound of that man mourning her freedom for her.

"So tell me, sir, since I've come to reveal myself, may I know at the very least what is your name?"

"I'm Kim Seokjin, son of Chief Canary from the Sun tribe of this territory. Pleased to meet you Young Chifetess Luna."

☼☼☼

Luna placed the cloak around her shoulders, Jin watching her as she slid the black gloves on her arms.

"Well, I bid you farewell Young Chief. I won't trouble you any longer," she mumbled almost amused.

Opening the small hut door, she began walking forward, her back to him with the sun hitting hard down upon them.

Five minutes passed by, Jin following close behind her as she reached the edge of the forest, the light becoming all the more blinding to her.

"This wretched sun is seriously getting on my nerves," she groaned, Jin smirking at her sudden use of profanity.

"What's so funny?!" She finally yelled back, all the more annoyed that Jin had been following her and amusing himself with her misery.

"How old are you? 8? The sun is nothing but a harmless power in our vast world."

"Harmless my bottom, and for your information, I have turned 20 as of last month. Does that have anything to do with the increased scorching of the light on my eyes?"

Jin chuckled, looking over at the clouds directly under the sun.

"For 26 summers I have lived with the beauty of this light. I don't know how someone could simply cast away and curse it with such rath. Mind you, it's this 'wretched sun' that keeps you safe from your own father," he added, his voice cold compared to the warm sympathy he had offered her in the small cabin.

"Well, 'thank you oh divine sun, please keep me safe on the rest of my journey," she said in prayer, her hands clasped together in a sign of reverence.

But it was virtually mocking to Jin.

"May I ask, Young Chieftess Luna, what is your plan? How do you think you'll get to Abron once the vile runs out? Your magic doesn't even work during the day," Jin questioned.

"I-"

Her eyebrows knitted in anger.

"I will figure something out on my own, thank you very much for your concern," she huffed out, turning around to continue walking at the edge of the forest, trying to keep herself in the shade as much as possible. It annoyed her that he did not leave her alone. She wanted to be able to set up camp between the two territories, however, having him hover around her like a bird made it hard for her to go with her original plan. If he knew she had planned to live between both territories, would he turn her in?

Jin continued to follow her, Luna simply ignoring him until she came into a clearing, not a single tree in sight. It was so bright that she nearly missed her step, Jin grabbed her arm before pulling her closer to himself.

"What are you doing-"

Jin's hand suddenly went up to her mouth, keeping it close as he pulled her back towards the forest's edge. Luna attempted to pull his hand off her, Jin's grip on her hand becoming slightly tighter.

"Hush. I think I saw my father come out of the village," he whispered, Luna looking at him confused.

The sound of footsteps could be heard, Jin pulling her behind a tree as the yelling of a man pushed through the quiet air.

"Seokjin!! Seokjin!! Where in the hell are you?"

There was a sudden pause before another man's voice joined the first man's.

"Old pops, why don't you wait up in the village, me and the rest of the scouts can go try and find him-"

A sudden sound of a knock, followed by a yelp made Jin peak from the side of the tree only to see his father standing next to his best friend and bodyguard, Hoseok.

"Call me Old pops one more time and I'll have you sent to the nymph's land for training. Now go. Seokjin better be home by dusk or I'll make sure he never goes out of my sight again, and that is an order Jung Hoseok!" the man yelled.

Jin could only smirk as he peeked at the interaction between the two men, Hoseok standing straight at the orders of his leader, while Jin's father simply shook his head and turned away from him.

Chief Canary was the tallest man in the village, a broad man with a body of steel and hair of pure gold. They said that when he rode into battles he looked as if the sun itself had come down from the clouds to bless him in his fights, the cries of a strong and worthy Chief heard from miles away.

Hoseok was like a mere kid next to him, his own blond hair dimmed by the light the great Chief embodied.

With a large sigh, Hoseok glanced over at the tree Jin was standing before walking towards it slowly, Jin letting go of Luna while making his way towards his friend.

"Hobi! I'm so glad to see you!" Jin smirked, the man in front of him smiling momentarily, before running at him at full speed, his right leg lunging forward and kicking Jin back towards some bushes near the same tree he had come out of.

Luna simply gasped, putting her hand to her own mouth, scared of what might be going on.

"Do you know how hard it was to get your father to back away from the forest? The next time you decide to go on a little adventure, warn me Seok Fucking Jin," he grunted, running towards Jin and pulling him by the headband he wore which kept his hair out of his eyes.

Both of the men suddenly began laughing, Luna still confused about what was going on.

Hoseok turned around to glance at her. His hair was wavy, a dark red headband behind his hair with a long string of beads coming out from one side of the band.

He smiled widely, before helping Jin up and off the floor.

"Y-young chief are you okay?" she asked worriedly, running over to Jin's side.

Hoseok looked over at them, Luna hiding slightly behind Jin.

"Who's the little lady?" Hoseok asked.

It seemed as if his eyes smiled just as hard as his lips, Jin looking back at a terrified Luna.

"A friend," he mumbled, the man named Hoseok, chuckling, before turning around to smack Jin on the forehead.

"You have no friends but me, and I know as many if not more people than you-"

Hoseok paused, looking down the woman's face and onto her chest, his eyes landing on the large necklace she carried the heavy pendant that had the insignia of the Lunari people making his eyes widen.

"She's-"

Looking up at Jin, Hoseok's go-lucky expression turned sour.

"Not supposed to be here. Go back to your land young lady, before you turn to charcoal. And as for you Seokjin, we need to head back. Your father isn't too pleased with today's 'adventure'," Hoseok groaned.

He was mad, his eyes narrowing in a way that could only be described as rage.

"Hoseok, why are you so-"

Jin paused, glancing over at Luna before standing defiantly in front of the man he called friend.

"She is a refugee. She is looking for protection from us and asked me. Since I am the Young Chief, I am allowed to choose who I let walk among our people."

Hoseok wanted to smack him in the face for saying something so absurd. The power of the Young Chief, (or Prince which is how the Lunari Tribes addressed them), can extend from something as small as being able to command warriors and make rules, to the most powerful things like being allowed to exile people, or in Luna's case, allow people to find refuge in their land.

It was a risk not many people, especially Jin's tribe, wanted to make.

Having a Lunari living in the land of the Solari, unsupervised, meant only trouble. They had opportunities to hurt or even kill Solari in their sleep since the Solari slept when the moon was out.

However, for Luna, this was the beginning of their "days".

"You know what having her around our village is like! If she is seen by any guards she'll be put in jail and sent back home. I don't know why she's here nor why she seeks refuge, but that is not OUR problem," Hoseok blurted out angrily.

Luna nearly began to tear up. How was she supposed to run when she was being threatened to be taken back?

"Come on Hosek, you can't continue to hold a grudge because of what happened to your mom-"

"LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS SEOK JIN! She would be rolling in her grave if she knew how you are treating her image. This has nothing to do with her anyway," Hoseok whisper-yelled back, grabbing ahold of Jin's cloak collar.

"This has absolutely everything to do with her and you know it Hoseok. When are you going to learn to let it go?!"

"The day those people bring back my family, that's when!!" Hoseok yelled back while pointing at Luna.

"I don't want to be forced into marriage. I promise to hide, I promise that if you can at least take me to the edge of your territory, opposite to that of my father's, I will not bring trouble to you or your people," Luna finally cried out of desperation.

Jin froze, Hoseok looking at the girl who now had eyes full of tears.

Upon closer inspection, Hoseok could see the singeing on her cheeks, probably from previous exposure to the sun.

"Did you give something to keep her from burning?

"I know what it looks like Hoseok but its-"

"SEOK JIN YOU'RE ONE VERY INCONSIDERATE FUCK!! HOW COULD YOU GIVE AWAY OUR-"

Jin seemed to have found a new power, rushing so fast to close Hoseok's mouth before looking back at Luna that he felt his heart nearly fall out of his chest.

"Point is you don't like her here Hosek, but what else can we do?" Jin groaned, Luna still looking at both of the men in sheer awe.

She was unsure of what would happen, what her options were, and what this fight would mean to her.

"Maybe we can send her to the deadlands," Hoseok suggested, Jin finally letting go before all of them stood up next to one another, all of them looking each other up as if testing each other's courage.

"I wouldn't send even a killer there. That's no place for her, and if she were to die because of the cold we would end up in more trouble."

"Well, we sure can't just let her walk throughout our territory at night," Hoseok said angrily as if scolding Jin.

Luna simply bent down, holding her knees while the men continued to argue, Jin and Hoseok appearing to not be able to come to any sort of agreement.

Just as they showed to escalate the argument a loud, booming, almost roaring voice broke the tense atmosphere.

Glancing up, all of them turned to stare at a small woman who had appeared out of nowhere. A petite but ferocious-looking woman. Her red-colored hair spiraled downwards behind her back. She looked to have some muscles that not only impressed Luna but appeared to make her glow in the hot summer sun.

"Acting like kids again?" she said, her voice making Luna's arms filled with goosebumps.

Her voice was mature and authoritative, it was that of a woman that appeared to have the world on her shoulders. Yet she was beautiful in a way that Luna could only describe as the image of a Lioness born as a human.

"Leona!" "General!"

The woman's eyes roamed and looked down at Luna's quivering body. For some reason, Luna felt afraid, her body was telling her to be so of this woman, who's eyes appeared to be peeking deep into her soul through the dark cloak Jin had given her. Luna swallowed hard, pulling at the cloak and covering herself as much as she possibly could.

"So can someone tell me why someone like her is on our territory??" the woman groaned out, grabbing both Jin and Hoseok by their own cloaks that lay on their shoulders and pulling them up and off the floor.

She wasn't a tall woman per se, but she was far stronger than any woman Luna had ever encountered in her own territory, at least, from the few that ever stepped foot out of their home or position in the kingdom.

She was different, her hair lighting up to the color of the sun, her eyes glowing yellow while the men struggled to get off.

Through her hands she appeared to be emitting some sort of power, one that ran through her fists and onto the cloak of the men, spreading like wildfire on dry grass. Their own eyes looked to be starting to glow, like magma flowing through rock in a way that seemed to at any given moment make them explode.

They began to groan and moan in discomfort, Hoseok continuing to try and slip off his cloak but failing miserably, the magic the woman had poured through their veins rendering them powerless before her.

"Fine fine we'll talk but please stop this!!" Jin yelled finally, the woman dropping them to the floor before turning around to a nearby boulder and sitting down.

Hoseok attempted to regain composure, coughing and wheezing out smoke that had first gone out of his nostrils but was now being expelled from his mouth.

Jin also appeared to have that same smoke however, he began swallowing it down with huffs of air.

"Remind me to never sneak out or get Leona angry again," Jin choked out.

"Well? I'm waiting," she said with a demanding voice, like a mother asking her kids to tell her what they broke.

It took Jin about six paragraphs to go through Luna's situation, the sun that once was bright in the sky suddenly dimmed down in the distance, Luna sneaked the vial Jin had given her between his speech. Leona grabbed the small glass before slamming it against the same boulder she had sat on.

"So this woman is a Young Chieftess?"

"Princess if I do have to correct you," Luna chimed in hearing her call her by a different title than the one her own tribe addressed her by.

"Princess? Here you are a Young Chieftess and you will respect that name under our land, understood?" Leona asked, looking over at her sternly.

Leona gave one final heavy sigh before turning to look at the sun, her eyes changing from stern to troubled.

"As the night approaches, you become stronger..." Leona whispered.

"Fine she can stay tonight. There's a nearby cave and if she truly wants to travel through our land, it is safer during the day than during the night," Leona huffed, turning around to look at Jin.

"She is your responsibility from today on. As long as she stays in our land, whatever happens between the Lunari and the Solari falls on your shoulders Seokjin."

Jin bowed, Leona beginning to walk away from them while Hoseok followed close behind her.

Jin started to walk towards them, as if still having one last thing to ask of her, but before he could reach her she looped back, looking straight at Luna while adding, "and don't worry. We know how to keep a secret."

Jin nodded, turning around to grab Luna by her arm and pull her through the forest once again, Luna breathing out in relief.

"Why is it that it is safer during the day?" Luna finally asked, remembering the comment Leona had made, Jin continuing to move forward, ever so often looking back at the sun.

"The Dragonborn have been infringing on our territory lately and it isn't safe for you or us. There's too many of them and too few of us since half our tribe has gone on a hunting expedition."

"The Dragonborn? You mean the savages who have taken over half the Seong Empire?" Luna asked, remembering the barbarians her father often talked about when he arrived home.

Luna had often heard the word barbarians or savages used to describe these people, people who were neither of a Lunari or Solari tribe, yet carried the power of both of them. The word Dragonborn was new to her, but it fit so well with the description her father gave of them.

The Dragonborn were men with tall figures and oversized shoulders which caused them to tilt as they walked. They had scary faces and dark clothes that made them harder to spot to anyone but the Luna.

Jin gave out a small cough, Luna looked up from her thoughts to see a small cave they had arrived at.

"Is this where I'll be staying?" Luna asked.

Jin nodded, handing her his cloak before stepping in.

"Hoseok and I often hang out here when we are running away from our parents. There's a large stack of hay to sleep on and some water we collect from the rain. I know it's not much but it's something, I hope."

Luna nodded, her hand going to her stomach out of pain. She was hungry, her last meal being one so distasteful that she had only now realized the absence of food from her body, one she hadn't had since the night before.

"Ah, for food..." Jin paused, grabbing his small bag from his waist before handing it to her.

"There's some bread and seeds. I would say there are berries but I'm not too sure since that was supposed to be my lunch," he smirked.

Luna bowed a bit, thanking him while smiling back at Jin.

"This is more than enough," she added.

"I'll return tomorrow with breakfast if that's okay," he asked, Luna nodding to his words.

"Breakfast sounds great. See you tomorrow Young Chief."

"Just call me Jin," he groaned.

"Fine, then it's only fair if you can call me Lu," she yawned, Jin bowing slightly before turning around.

"See you in the morning Lu."

"See you Jin."

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　»»--⍟--««　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Honestly, this was a bit too much writing but I hope it's well worth the wait.

There is quite a lot going on but I hope it still is easy to understand.

What do you think of Luna?

Does she seem like a good person?

What about Jin and Hoseok?

Do you think Leona will keep Jin's secret?

I hope you enjoyed it!!

Thank you for your votes and comments we really appreciate the support!!

~Marili